Typically, in retail service establishments and in particular, self-serving stores selling groceries and the like, the store is characterized by aisles defined between multitudes of rows of display shelves or other containers for holding and displaying the goods for sale. In such stores, the checkout counter is usually located near the front of the store adjacent the entrance and exit areas. The problem with the configuration of this type of store is that the patron is unable from the checkout counter to readily locate the goods sold in every other part of the store. Often the patron is required to go to each aisle to determine whether it contains the goods the patron desires to purchase. Then, if the patron cannot quickly locate the item he or she is looking for he must go all the way to the front of the store to get information from the service personnel who work at the checkout counters.
In addition, the only function served by the checkout counter is to register the goods sold and take cash, give change, cash checks and other tasks connected with merely purchasing the items picked-up in a basket as the patron has moved about the store. As a result, often the purchaser who is interested in getting some items which require additional attention, for example, buying meats, where the meat is required to be cut to specification, the patron must go to one part of the store to get the meat cut, weighed, etc., and then come to another part of the store to have it checked out where the patron can pay for the meat that has been bought. This problem also exists with fruits and other produce which require special service.
The problem with this type of configuration is that significant time is wasted by both the patron and the service people. Although there are some stores which have a checkout counter in the center of the store. Their major function is simply to register and check out items purchased elsewhere in the store. They typically provide no other services or any work area for wrapping, cutting, weighing, etc., of other items which can be purchased in the store.